Crime & Safety

Holbrook Intersection Causes Concern

Site of recent fatal accident has community upset.

After last week's fatal accident at Broadway Avenue and Veterans Memorial Highway, community members have expressed their distaste with the intersection.

Anita McCauley, an 80-year-old Blue Point woman, was killed when her 1999 Saturn, traveling westbound, was hit while making a left turn onto Broadway. She was struck by a 1987 Mack tractor trailer driven by David Murphy.

"This intersection is, indeed, very dangerous," said Walter Beck, a concerned community member.

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Beck sited poorly timed lights, allowing too little time for northbound traffic on Broadway Avenue to travel through the light, as well as northbound traffic backing up on Broadway during afternoon hours.

"That same back up causes impatient northbound drivers to try to beat the very short green light," he said, "but the most hazardous condition of all at that intersection is the lack of green left-turn arrows for eastbound and westbound traffic on Vets Highway. That is what caused [the] fatal accident."

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Broadway is a Suffolk County Road (CR-18) and Veterans Highway is a New York State Road. The Town of Islip and Town of Brookhaven have no jurisdiction over traffic safety, and the Suffolk County and New York State Public Works Departments have not responded to emails regarding the area.

Sachem Patch will post updates if this issue is addressed.


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